Car-coupling



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. A. LA FEVER. GAR COUPLING.

No. 424,214. Patented Mar. 25, 1 890.

W W" w WITNESSES.

ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

. G. A. LA FEVER OAR COUPLING.

No. 424,214; Patented Mar. 25, 1890.

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS.

N PETERS, Fimwmho m nm. Washington. 0.0

UNITED STATES PATENT OF IGE.

GEORGE A. LA FEVER, OF SELKIRK, NElV YORK.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 424,214, dated March25, 1890.

Application filed May 7, 1889. Serial No. 809,938. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. LA FEVER, of Selkirk, in the county ofAlbany and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedOar-Coupler, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to an improvement in car-couplers, and has for itsobject to provide a pneumatic coupling which will deaden the effect ofcollisions and prevent telescoping and derailment of the cars in theevent a collision should occur. 2

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will behereinafter more fully set forth, and pointedout in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters and figures of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a bottom plan viewof the construction of two opposed carshaving my improved coupler applied, the draw-head of the said couplersbeing in section. Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation of two opposed carshaving the coupler attached. Fig. 3 is afront elevation of the pneumaticdraw-head. Fig. 4 is a central horizontal section through a modifiedform of the coupler, illustrating the pneumatic cylinder as locatedcentrally beneath the cars and the application of a doubleheaded piston.Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the cylinders illustrated in Fig. 4. Fig.6 is a' section on line 2 z of Fig. 5, illustrating the hooks in acoupled position. Fig. 7 is a similar View showing the hooks in anuncoupled position; and Fig. 8 is a similar view to Figs. 6 and 7,illustrating a modified form of hook.

In a beam or hangerlO, located beneath the sill of the car 11, openings12 and 13 are made, one at each side of the center, one of said openings12 being provided with a metal thimble 14. Through the thimble-opening apneumatic cylinder 15 is projected outward beyond the hanger, whichcylinder at its outer end is open, and the sides are made flaring, asbest shown at 16. At each side of the cylinder a spring-hook 17 isrigidly secured at one end, the free or engaging ends of which hooksproject within the cylinder near. the bell-mouth through openings 18formed therein, as best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. side of thecylinder 15 an opening 12 is produced, covered by a slide-vavle 1 9,which valve is connected by a rod 20 with a rock-shaft 21, journaledbeneath the car, preferably between the truck and the end of the car,the link bein g attached to the shaft through the medium of a crank-arm22.; but the slide-valve may, if desired, be united to the saidrock-shaft in any suitable or approved manner.

The cylinder 15 is held in a horizontal position by a rod 23, rigidlysecured to its rear end, which rod, passing, through an opening in thecross-sill 24, located beneath the carbody, is fastened at its inner endto a shaft 25, journaled beneath the car-body to the rear end of therock-shaft 21 by a swivel-joint. The cross-sill 24 is to be braced andof sufficient strength to sustain the strain ordinarily imposed upondraw-bars. This shaft 25 is provided at one or at both ends, whichproject beyond the car-body, with a crank-arm 26, whereby the shaft maybe revolved when desired.

Upon the cylinder-rod 23 a finger 27 is fastened, which finger isengaged by a cam 28, fast upon the rock-shaft 21, the inner face of thecam contacting with the fingerbeing beveled, as best illustrated inFig. 1. When the shaft 21 is manipulated, the action of the cam upon thefinger 27 will impart to the cylinder at quarter-turn. In order that thecylinder may not be injured by contact with the thimble 14 and also besustained in a proper horizontal position between the opposed faces ofthe thimble and the cylinder, a series of spiral springs 29 areinterposed. Thus the cylder is made to rest in spring-bearings.

Through the opening 13 and an opening in the cross-sill 24 a tube 30 ishorizontally projected, and a rod 31 is passed through the said tube,the said rod being connected to the shaft 25 by a swivel-joint. The tube30 is provided with a finger 32, corresponding to the finger 27 of thecylinder-rod, the said finger 32 being acted upon by a cam 33, alike inconstruction with the cam 28 and secured upon the same shaft-namely, therock-shaft 21. The cam 33, by contact with the finger 32, imparts to thetube 30 a quarter-turn.

A piston 34E is constructed in two parts, one telescoping and held torevolve in the other,

In one IOC the part A, which is the outer portion, being secured to theextremity of the rod- 31 and the inner portion to the. tube 30. Theouter section A'of the piston is conical, and is so made in order thatit may readily enter the bell-mouth of the pneumatic cylinder of anopposed draw-head in coupling the cars, and the inner section of thepiston is beveled, so as to force the spring-hooks 17 outward and allowthe piston to pass out of the cylinder. The said outer section is alsoprovided with a series of ribs 35, which also serve to guide it in saidcylinder. Each section of the piston is provided with slots so arrangedthat when the piston is in its normal position the slots in the twosections will not register; but when the quarter-turn is imparted to thetube 30 by the cam 33 the inner section of the piston will be turned sothat the slots in the two piston-sections will be brought one over theother. This is to prevent suction when the piston is withdrawn from thecylinder 15 in uncoupling.

Upon the tube 30 a disk 36 is mounted to slide, but not to turn, theperiphery of which disk is beveled in the direction of the piston, andthe said piston and disk are connected by a spiral or coil spring 37. Inthe disk 36 two marginal and aligning recesses 38 are produced, asillustrated in Fig. 3, so that when the tube 30 is turned the recess ofthe disk will be brought into alignment with the hooks 1'7 and therebypermit the piston to be withdrawn from the cylinder.

The outer end of the rock-shaft 21 is provided with a crank-arm 39, andpreferably with a pinion 40, capable of engaging a toothed end of a bar41, carried upward at the end of the car to the top of the same, wherebythe rock-shaft may be operated from the top as well asfrom the side ofthe car. When it is not desired to use the rod 41, it is drawn upwardand held out of engagement with the pinion by a spring 42, attached tothe car and entering a recess in the rod or attached to the rod andcontacting with an offset in the car.

The crank-arms of the shafts 21 and 25 are preferably located on thesame side of the car, and if in practice it is found desirable bothextremities of the two shafts may have a crank-arm attached.

When the cars are coupled and it is de sired to uncouple them, therock-shaft 21 of one car is manipulated, when the cams 28 and 33 on thesaid shaft will operate upon the projections 27 and 32,respectively,-and turn the cylinder 15 and tube 30, so as to bringthenotches of the disks 36 and the hooks 17 into alignment. The turning ofthe tube 30 also turns the outer section ofthe piston, so that the slotsof the two sections of the piston are made to register, so that the airin front of the pistonof that cylinder can pass out through the mouth ofthe said cylinder and thereby prevent suction. The above-describedmovement of the rock-shaft 21 also operates the valve 19, so that theair in front of the piston of that cylinder is al lowed to escapethrough the opening-18 covered by said valve and thereby prevent suctionin the said cylinder. Thus, as the cars are drawn apart, the pistons arefree to leave their respective cylinders. WVhen the pistons have beenwithdrawn, the cylinders are returned to their normal position. Inc0up-' ling the pistons force the hooks'17 outward and obtain admittancethereby to the cylinder, and the disk 36 following also forces the hooksoutward, which hooks, when the disk is passed, spring inward to acontact with the outer face of the disk, as illustrated in Fig. 1, thusinsuring a coupling. It will be observed that as the pistons in couplingforce the air ahead of them in the cylinders an air-cushion is obtained,and a suitable air-vent may be made in the inner end of each of thecylinders to permit a gradual escape of the air, if so desired. In theevent that the cylinder and piston of one car are lower or higher than.those of an opposed car with which the coupling is to be effected, thesaid cylinder and pistonof either car may be raised or lowered byturning the shaft 25.

In Figs. 4 and 5 the pneumatic cylinders 15 are illustrated as locatedcentrally beneath the car-body, one cylinder only being employed at eachend of the car. The hooks 17,

attached to each cylinder, are provided with,

a lug at, extending from the under side at or near the center, the lugof each cylinder being adapted to be engaged by a cam-disk at,

having one inclined face similar to thecam's- 33 in Fig. 1. Thecam-disks a are rigidly mounted upon a rock shaft Z9, corresponding tothe shaft 21, heretofore described, in such manner that one cam will belocated at each side of the cylinder. The rock-shaft b is actuated bythesame mechanism shown in connection with the shaft 21. The slide-valve19, covering the side vent in the cylinder, is

located in the modification diagonally of said cylinder, and the rod 20is attached to a crankarm of the rock-shaft b. The cylinder is providedat the outer end with a top and bottom aperture cl to admita pin whencoupling with an ordinary link draw-head.

It will be understood by reference to Figs. 6 and 7 that when the thinsurfaces of the cams are uppermost the heads of the hooks are sprunginto the cylinder to a coupling position, and when the thickest surfacesof the cams are brought uppermost the heads of the hooks are forcedoutward to the uncoupling position.

In Fig. 8 I have illustrated a modified form.

of hook, the hooks being pivoted in vertical slots in the cylinder andmade in blade form, having a wide lower portion or body and a narrowupwardly extending shank. The shanks of this form of hook are attachedto a post 6, integral with the cylinder, by springs e, which normallyforce the'shanks outward,

thereby holding the body in a coupled posi- IIO In connection with themodified form ofcylinders, the piston-rod 31 is provided with a headsimilar to that described in connection with Fig. 1 at both ends, andthe spring 37 and disk 36 are duplicated. The rod is made of sufficientlength to admit of onehead and attachments to enter each opposedcylinder, as shown in Fig. 4. The piston is adapted to remain in onecylinder to enter an empty opposed cylinder in coupling.

It will be understood that with slight modifications in the constructionof the piston the coupler may be used in connection with ferryboats andferry-slips or other vehicles, if desired.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. The combination, with a pneumatic cylinder open atone end and spring-hooks extending through the sides of the cylinder, ofa piston adapted to enter the cylinder and a disk carried by thepiston-rod, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with a pneumatic cylinder open at one end andspring-hooks extending through the sides of the cylinder, of apiston-head capable of entering the cylinder, a rod secured to saidhead, and a springactuated disk carried by said rod, substantially asshown and described.

3. In a car-coupler, the combination, with a'car-body, of a pneumaticcylinder held beneath the car, projected outward therefrom,

open at its outer end, and provided with spring-hooks secured to thesides and entering suitable apertures in said cylinder, a piston alsosupported beneath the car-body, provided with a spring-actuatedapertured disk loosely mounted on the piston-rod, a rockshaft journaledbeneath the car, a rod carried rearward beneath said rock-shaft from thecylinder, a finger secured to the cylinderrod and piston-rod, and camsattached to the rock-shaft engaging said fingers, substantially as shownand described.

4. The combination, with a car-body, a rock-shaft journaled beneath thecar, provided with a cam at or near each end, and a second shaft to therear of the rock-shaft,

of a pneumatic cylinder having an open end and horizontally supportedbeneath the car, said cylinder being provided with springhooks, a rodattached to the cylinder and to the rear shaft, a tube horizontallysupported beneath the car-body, a rod projected through saidtube andsecured to the rear shaft, a sectional piston having one portion securedto the rod and one to the tube, a spring coiled around the tube, a diskprovided with recesses attached to said spring, and a finger upon thepiston and cylinder rods capable of engaging the cams upon therock-shaft, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination, with a car-body, a rockshaft journaled beneath thesame, provided with a cam, a pneumatic cylinder horizontally supportedbeneath the car-body, projecting ,outward therefrom, and having an openflaring outer end, spring-hooks secured to said cylinder and projectingwithin the same, a rod attached to said cylinder and to a supportbeneath the car, and a finger secured to the said rod contacting withthe cam of the rock shaft, of an opposed car-body provided with a tubehorizontally supported beneath the said body and projecting outwardtherefrom, a rod rigidly attached at one end beneath the body of the carand projecting outward through the tube, an apertured sectional pistonhaving one portion secured to the said tube and the other to the saidrod, a recessed disk loosely mounted upon the tube, a spring connectingthe disk and piston, a rock-shaft, a cam upon said rock'shaft, and afinger upon said rod engaging the said cam, substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

6. The combination, with a car-body, a rock shaft j ournaled beneath thecar, provided with a cam at or near each end, and a second. shaft to therear of the rock-shaft, of a pneumatic cylinder having an open end andhorizontally supported beneath the car, said cylinder being providedwith spring-hooks, a rod attached to the cylinder and to the rear shaft,a tube horizontally supported beneath the car-body, a rod projectedthrough said tube and secured to the rear shaft, a sectional pistonhaving one portion secured to the rod and one to the tube, a springcoiled around the tube, a disk provided with recesses attached to saidspring, a finger upon the piston and cylinder rods capable of engagingthe cams upon the rock-shaft, a valve held to slide upon the in.- nerend of the cylinder and covering the opening therein, and alink-connection between the said valve and rock-shaft, substantially asshown and described.-

7. In a carcoupler, a draw-head consisting of a cylinder open at one endand springhooks secured to said cylinder, projecting within the same, atube adapted to enterthe cylinder between the hooks, a rod projectedthrough the tube, an apertured sectional piston having one portionsecured to the tube and the other to' the rod, a recessed disk mountedloosely upon the tube, a spring constantially as shown and described,for imparting to the cylinder a quarter-turn, and

also for imparting a quarter-turn to the piston-rod, as and for thepurpose specified.

8. In a car-coupler, 'a draw-head consisting of a cylinder open at oneend and SIJllIlgf hooks secured to said cylinder, projecting within thesa1ne,a tube adapted to enter the cylinder between the hooks, aI'OdPlOJGOlZGd through the tube, an apertured sectional piston havingone portion secured to the tube heating the disk and piston, and means,-suband the other to the rod, a recessed disk a quarter-turn, and meansfor revolving the mounted loosely upon the tube, a spring eonpiston-rod,as and for the purpose spec1fied. neeting the disk and piston, a valveheld to slide over an opening formed in the cylinder GEORGE A. LA FEVER.near its inner end, means, substantially as Witnesses: shown anddescribed, for operating said valve J. B. SELKIRK,

and simultaneously imparting t0 the cylinder B. J. SMITH.

